Gingrich to Afghanistan: Maybe it’s time for you to live your miserable lives on your own

posted at 6:02 pm on February 27, 2012 by Allahpundit

Have there been any new U.S. polls on Afghanistan taken since the locals went berserk over the Koran burnings? I’m keen to see what the Republican numbers look like now after days of killing followed by apologies followed by … more killing. It’s the right that’s been propping up support for the mission, but the thought of O’s “sorry” being met by Afghan officers shooting U.S. troops in the back of their heads while at their desks might be what finally finishes this project off. If 10 years of nation-building can’t prevent systemic fears of fraggings by Afghan soldiers, we’re wasting our time. And even if they can, we may be wasting our time anyway.

Turning to the escalating violence in Afghanistan, the former Georgia congressman said the United States is facing an impossible task there.

“We are not going to fix Afghanistan. It is not possible,” he told a large group of Republicans at an afternoon luncheon here. “These are people who have spent several thousand years hating foreigners. And what we have done by staying is become the new foreigners.

“This is a real problem. And there are some problems where you have to say, ‘You know, you are going to have to figure out how to live your own miserable life… because you clearly don’t want to learn from me how to be unmiserable. And that is what you are going to see happen.”

The One now has cover from the self-styled anti-establishment Republican candidate to follow through on that speeded-up withdrawal Panetta floated last month. Can’t imagine that Romney would dare run to his right on the war against that backdrop unless it’s with sporadic boilerplate about “seeing the mission through” or “not surrendering” that no one presses him very hard on. Meanwhile, the official spin is that incidents of rebellion by Afghan troops are still relatively rare and might be caused by Taliban infiltration, but read this Time piece casting doubt on that. Even the Army itself doesn’t believe it:

The Saturday attacks seem to verify the findings of a declassified — then reclassified — U.S. Army study titled A Crisis of Trust and Cultural Incompatibility, which was released in May 2011. Through hundreds of interviews with both Afghan and American service members, it found that the murders of NATO troops by Afghan troops “do not represent ‘rare and isolated events’ as [is] currently being proclaimed.” Afghan soldiers cited night raids and home searches by foreign troops, the lack of respect for women, indiscriminate shooting, constant cursing and arrogance as top complaints against their foreign “partners.” They also said failure to prosecute foreign troops for war crimes, disrespect for Afghan soldiers, poor logistical support and a failure to share information led to divisions between the two forces — among numerous other complaints that included entering mosques, eating in front of fasting Afghan soldiers during Ramadan and other episodes of the desecration of the Koran.

At the same time, the report noted that U.S. troops have an extremely low regard for their Afghan counterparts. The service members’ top complaints were that the Afghans were drug abusers, thieves, traitorous, unstable, incompetent and had poor officers and noncommissioned officers. The troops also said Afghan recruits lacked discipline, were dangerous in firefights, were cowardly, lazy and had poor hygiene.

The report concludes that “the rapidly growing fratricide-murder trend committed by Afghan national security force [ANSF] personnel against NATO members” confirms the “ineffectiveness [of] our efforts in stabilizing Afghanistan, developing a legitimate and effective government, battling the insurgency, gaining the loyalty, respect and friendship of the Afghans [and] building the ANSFs into legitimate and functional organizations.” The report says that these complaints and murders challenge the usefulness of the “partnering” concept.

Said one former NATO rep, “If the trust, ability and willingness to partner falls apart, you are looking at the endgame here.” I’m not sure I understand that “if,” though: So worried was Gen. Allen about fraggings this weekend that he felt compelled to pull NATO advisors out of Afghan ministries, which are supposed to be secure and whose personnel are doubtless vetted carefully for their loyalties. If you can’t work in a cubicle inside the Interior Ministry without having to worry about some enraged lunatic shooting you in the face, what’s left?

Here’s Rush Limbaugh on today’s show wondering if maybe it’s time to say “to hell with the place.” See why I’m so curious about new poll numbers? Click the image to watch the clip, then read this Michael Hirsh piece at National Journal noting that the Koran-burning isn’t the only thing Afghan-related that Obama plans to apologize for. Relations with Pakistan have been strained ever since NATO airstrikes killed several dozen Pakistani troops back in November; an official “sorry” for that has been in the works for awhile in hopes of rebuilding cooperation, especially given the growing U.S. alarm about Haqqani hideouts across the border. But O may postpone it now in order to deny the GOP a talking point about his latest “apology tour.”

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Well, it is *possible* but it would take three generations and we would have to act like occupiers in order to do it.

Here is what we would have to do:

1. We would become the supreme law of the land, no local corrupt politician running the thing.

2. Any local official caught accepting a bribe of any sort is sent to prison.

3. Any local citizen caught offering a bribe of any sort is sent to prison.

4. Establish a nationwide television and radio network in Dari. This network would broadcast the same content across the entire country. It would be particularly heavy on children’s programming. Everyone in the entire country would get the same news, sports, and entertainment news every day.

5. Establish a nationwide high speed rail and road network and begin improving the secondary roads.

6. Open mines and import labor from different regions of the country. Men from the South work in the North. Men from the East work in the West, and vice versa. The idea is to get people mixing up and moving around.

7. Go big with national sports teams of every sport imaginable and engage in international competition and aim for excellence. Afghan people should be rooting for Afghan teams.

8. Close the border with Pakistan. They are no longer “Pashtuns”, they are Afghans.

In other words, a national media in a common language, a national transportation program, merciless response to bribery and corruption along with any violent acts. Treat Afghanistan much the same way as we treated Germany immediately after WWII. Begin building a national image, not a tribal image. NOTHING on the national media would glorify any single tribe over another. Various tribal songs and stories would be translated to the Dari and presented nationally. All kids in all regions would grow up with a common cultural base.

Generation 2:

Phase out regional languages in the local schools. All school instruction nationally would be done in Dari. Local dialects can be taught in the home, if desired, but they would not be taught in the schools. All signs in all shops would be in Dari as would all road signs and labels on products. Shopkeepers would be forbidden to erect public signage in the local regional dialect. All children born after a certain date must show proficiency in Dari in order to register to vote.

Generation 3:

This is the first generation that begins to hold elected office. Local offices are elected first, then district, then national at about a 10 year interval (local elections when the oldest of Generation 3 is 25 years old, district elections when the oldest are 35 and national elections when the oldest of Gen 3 are 45).

It takes 3 generations to create a nation out of tribal rabble. If you aren’t prepared to stick around for 3 generations then you are peeing up a rope.

One would think those in leadership positions in America would have a better grasp of history and on the concept of differences between cultures esp. us—and by that I mean the rest of the world vs Islam. It does nothing but fuel hatred,resentment and keep people down. It is NOT a religion of peace.

And he is just parroting what Ron Paul has been saying for the entire campaign now. Soooooo. . . . .

thphilli on February 27, 2012 at 6:28 PM

Ron Paul is a Libertarian anarchist. Mark Levin had two hours of Ron Pauls connections and audio of his own words. Ron Paul is not what you and his supporters think he is. He is not a Constitutionalist either, even tho he likes to talk about the Constitution. He also hates Conservatism. Ever since the debates started he has attack each and every Conservative that ran.

Truth is offensive to many people, but not to those that understand it is only truth that gives Liberty. Truth builds up, lies tears down.

And he is just parroting what Ron Paul has been saying for the entire campaign now. Soooooo. . . . .

thphilli on February 27, 2012 at 6:28 PM

Ron Paul doesn’t want to go to war anywhere anytime with anyone, while Newt and many millions of us could see that spending 10 years ,billions of $, thousands of lives, is not bringing any change in the region , so any wise person will agree that its time to change course either fight ,kill the bad guys come home or just leave the those ungrateful hordes in their miserable life style and come home save our soldiers lives.

Wonder if Mr. Putin and the Russians would want to join in and frolic along with us on the way out. I also wonder if the Afghans ever contemplated having both Russia and America really really pissed off at them at the same time. Or if they think the Chinese (or Saudi’s or Libyans or Iranians) will save their skanky asses.

NahnCee on February 27, 2012 at 6:36 PM

I do believe there would be a great sh!tt!ing of bricks if AFPAK saw a column of U.S. Marines side by side with a column of Soviet Marines coming towards them.

Ron Paul is a Libertarian anarchist. Mark Levin had two hours of Ron Pauls connections and audio of his own words. Ron Paul is not what you and his supporters think he is. He is not a Constitutionalist either, even tho he likes to talk about the Constitution. He also hates Conservatism. Ever since the debates started he has attack each and every Conservative that ran.

Truth is offensive to many people, but not to those that understand it is only truth that gives Liberty. Truth builds up, lies tears down.

bluefox on February 27, 2012 at 6:50 PM

Wait. At first I thought you were being sarcastic, but are you really presenting Levin as a credible source?

I agree with Newt and Rush 100% on this..Afghanistan is a lost cause…Of course it was right to go there and destroy al-qaeda but in the end the enemy still left is the taliban and now they aren’t the enemy(according to this administration) When we leave, the taliban will take charge..no doubt about it..it’s the normal citizens that like the taliban and their brutal savagery and we obviously aren’t changing their minds now

Just look through this thread. A week ago all of these people were making fun of Ron Paul saying to pull out of Afghanistan. Then a couple more Americans die, a different candidate parrots what Ron Paul has said all campaign long, and now they are almost universally in favor of pulling out of Afghanistan.

Naw – a win for the wet finger in the wind for Newt’s sudden turnabout epiphany.
whatcat on February 27, 2012 at 6:34 PM

Just look through this thread. A week ago all of these people were making fun of Ron Paul saying to pull out of Afghanistan. Then a couple more Americans die, a different candidate parrots what Ron Paul has said all campaign long, and now they are almost universally in favor of pulling out of Afghanistan.
thphilli on February 27, 2012 at 6:37 PM

Nope, can’t credit Paul for this. It’s pure political expediency, a Hail Mary pass on Newt’s part. You’re obviously correct about RP being against pretty much anything the US does militarily, but that has no bearing on Newt’s ploy here.

Agreed! More Muslims are killed by Muslims then anyone else. It’s a way of life for them. Their leaders will lie and lie again to push forward their misguided beliefs. Look at a typical website like http://shahamat-english.com/ and look at the continual flow of miss information feed to their public.

The US is trying to westernize Islam and you can’t do that. That’s not reality. These Arab Muslim and Iranian Muslim lunatics are not people who you can negotiate with. They have one thing in mind. A religion that teaches them that they have to destroy Israel and America. That is the goal! Our annihilation and their complete domination of the Earth. It breaks my heart to think of all the well meaning patriotic lives lost because of out of touch with reality politicians who believe the United States can westernize Islam.

I keep posting, despite csdeven’s rants about it, that Newt is the only intelligent choice to succeed the current White House occupant. Why so many seemingly intelligent Republicans would think otherwise is a mystery. Most of their hatred for Newt has evolved from his frequent spankings of Republicans trying to legislate like democrats. These people need to get over it and not let this opportunity to bring this country back to greatness get away.

Ron Paul doesn’t want to go to war anywhere anytime with anyone, while Newt and many millions of us could see that spending 10 years ,billions of $, thousands of lives, is not bringing any change in the region , so any wise person will agree that its time to change course either fight ,kill the bad guys come home or just leave the those ungrateful hordes in their miserable life style and come home save our soldiers lives.

evergreenland on February 27, 2012 at 6:50 PM

Many Americans have felt this way for a long time. We haven’t accomplished anything except loss of our American Military members.

Does it seem awfully fortuitous that these ‘events’ have occurred and just happen to gel so nicely that even Rush Limbaugh is saying to “hell with the place.” What better way to plus up some sagging poll numbers than by to slip a hajii a lil sumpin sumpin to burn??? cynical I know, but we have evidence of far worse.

Allahpundit, funny you would not make one mention of Ron Paul in Newt’s drastic change of opinion on Afghanistan. An opinion that is in line with what Paul has been saying for YEARA…any the reason why so many republicans claim they can’t support him.

Nope, can’t credit Paul for this. It’s pure political expediency, a Hail Mary pass on Newt’s part. You’re obviously correct about RP being against pretty much anything the US does militarily, but that has no bearing on Newt’s ploy here.

whatcat on February 27, 2012 at 6:53 PM

Why is Newt the only one speaking out on these murders of our Military?
Establishment Republicans?, Romney?, Paul? or Santorum? Silence.
Haven’t heard a word from Congress. Only Newt and Mark Levin. Didn’t hear Rush, so can’t comment on that.

If you had listened to Mark Levin’s 2 hour program last week and Newt’s speech at the Georgia Church Sunday, you would have an entirely different opinion.

Allahpundit, funny you would not make one mention of Ron Paul in Newt’s drastic change of opinion on Afghanistan. An opinion that is in line with what Paul has been saying for YEARA…any the reason why so many republicans claim they can’t support him.

dom89031 on February 27, 2012 at 7:04 PM

Ok Ron Paul is an isolationist..most republicans aren’t… The years of our fighting in Irag and Afghanistan have opened my eyes to these ‘people’ in those countries…we can’t change minds, hearts, lives with guns and soldiers…Islam is deeply rooted into their DNA and their hatred for the west can’t be erased with apologies or military action..In the end only god can save these people, not our brave military men and women

Um, yep, Mark Levin is a SUPER source/resource as for liberty, and those being stolen from us.
I proudly support Levin, his message, and he’s got me pretty fired up over the TRUTHS he’s been speaking for the past hour !

The US is trying to westernize Islam and you can’t do that. That’s not reality. These Arab Muslim and Iranian Muslim lunatics are not people who you can negotiate with. They have one thing in mind. A religion that teaches them that they have to destroy Israel and America. That is the goal! Our annihilation and their complete domination of the Earth. It breaks my heart to think of all the well meaning patriotic lives lost because of out of touch with reality politicians who believe the United States can westernize Islam.

apocalypse on February 27, 2012 at 7:00 PM

Exactly, you have it right. People that are so filled with hate cannot be reasoned with. Only God himself can do that. And that is why we were in a losing war to begin with. They all despise us and nothing will change them or their mind.

You folks wanting to glaze the noble lands of the noble Muslims are getting ernesto all upset. You don’t need to be overt. Be passive. Quarantine them. Repatriate them. Keep them from straying and becoming oppressed and unhappy in the blasphemous West. Set the ummah free to thrive or fail without a penny from the filthy infidels.

Um, yep, Mark Levin is a SUPER source/resource as for liberty, and those being stolen from us.
I proudly support Levin, his message, and he’s got me pretty fired up over the TRUTHS he’s been speaking for the past hour !

pambi on February 27, 2012 at 7:10 PM

Yes he is. He is one of the best if not the only Defender of our Liberty,
Constitution and Declaration of Independence. He’s right that the Courts and Politicians are destroying those rights. They need defeated, everyone of them.

Wait. At first I thought you were being sarcastic, but are you really presenting Levin as a credible source?

joana on February 27, 2012 at 6:51 PM

You’re either joking here or are seriously delusional. Levin is one of just a few people who really knows and understands the Constitution. Your idiot, racist, Jew hating hero Paul is a fraud, have no idea how anyone with even half a brain can take his lies for anything but what they are: LIES.

Why is Newt the only one speaking out on these murders of our Military?
Establishment Republicans?, Romney?, Paul? or Santorum? Silence.
Haven’t heard a word from Congress. Only Newt and Mark Levin. Didn’t hear Rush, so can’t comment on that.
bluefox on February 27, 2012 at 7:06 PM

Romney and Santorum are talking about trees, lakes, and NASCAR.
It is so sad that 2 of our servicemen were killed ,their lives lost because of burned paper.,

bluefox on February 27, 2012 at 7:06 PM
Who hasn’t said they were terrible?

you would have an entirely different opinion.
Nope, when a politician does a whiplash-inducing turnabout on major policy, as Newt has here – and moreso when the politician is in the toliet politically – it’s a desperation pander-ploy.

whatcat on February 27, 2012 at 7:14 PM

Your denial doesn’t change what I said. Even if you are correct, which you aren’t, so what? It doesn’t change anything that he said about it.
It’s still valid. People change their mind whenever new information comes out, no matter the subject.

I’ve changed my mind since last year about Romney when the debates started and I saw him for what he is. Despicable.

joana on February 27, 2012 at 6:51 PM
You’re either joking here or are seriously delusional. Levin is one of just a few people who really knows and understands the Constitution. Your idiot, racist, Jew hating hero Paul is a fraud, have no idea how anyone with even half a brain can take his lies for anything but what they are: LIES.

Ok Ron Paul is an isolationist..most republicans aren’t… The years of our fighting in Irag and Afghanistan have opened my eyes to these ‘people’ in those countries…we can’t change minds, hearts, lives with guns and soldiers…Islam is deeply rooted into their DNA and their hatred for the west can’t be erased with apologies or military action..In the end only god can save these people, not our brave military men and women

Ron Paul has no bearing on my decision to say get out

sadsushi on February 27, 2012 at 7:09 PM

Peace and trade is not an isolationist foreign policy. Dropping bombs and imposing economic sanctions against a country is an isolationist foreign policy.

bluefox on February 27, 2012 at 7:06 PM
Romney and Santorum are talking about trees, lakes, and NASCAR.
It is so sad that 2 of our servicemen were killed ,their lives lost because of burned paper.,

evergreenland on February 27, 2012 at 7:23 PM

I know. What I expect from Romney and R Paul are more attack ads against Newt, but no agreement. Paul may try to take credit as his supporters are trying to do. But Paul deserves no credit at all. He’s done nothing for the Conservative cause whatsoever in all these years. Levin really opened my eyes & ears about Paul and Romney also. When you are raising children and working, you miss a lot. So I do so appreciate Levin for bringing this much needed information out.

bluefox on February 27, 2012 at 7:25 PM
If you accept Newt’s sudden one-day epiphany as being legit, do you also accept Romney’s change of views which occurred over year’s time? Or other candidates, for that matter?

whatcat on February 27, 2012 at 7:32 PM

The difference is that Romney has not regretted his liberal record in MA. Nor has he changed his view on Romneycare; in fact he stands by it. Also he has not changed his view on the ads (11,000) in one weeks time in FL against Newt that were lies and distortions. Those are just views and policies off the top of my head.

Newt wasn’t Governor nor enacting policy. I have my opinion of Romney and it’s based on his record and his lies during the debates and his nasty performance during his campaign. He just lied during the last debate (again) and was called out on it.

The US is trying to westernize Islam and you can’t do that. That’s not reality. These Arab Muslim and Iranian Muslim lunatics are not people who you can negotiate with. They have one thing in mind. A religion that teaches them that they have to destroy Israel and America. That is the goal! Our annihilation and their complete domination of the Earth. It breaks my heart to think of all the well meaning patriotic lives lost because of out of touch with reality politicians who believe the United States can westernize Islam.

apocalypse on February 27, 2012 at 7:00 PM

Exactly, you have it right. People that are so filled with hate cannot be reasoned with. Only God himself can do that. And that is why we were in a losing war to begin with. They all despise us and nothing will change them or their mind.

bluefox on February 27, 2012 at 7:13 PM

That’s right. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can change the hearts and minds of people. Much respect for bluefox for speaking the truth.

It’s time to quit apologizing for accidentally burning a couple of Korans. Let’s pull our troops out of that God forsaken land with a promise that if we ever have to come back instead of matches and gasoline we’ll be using a couple of ICBMs to start that fire.

Call Karzai and his band of thieves to the American embassy and inform him that we will be leaving in several months and his money will from American aid will be cut off too. They don’t deserve our help. They don’t appreciate a damn thing we have tried to do for them. They are very happy to live in the 7th Century, hating what they consider infidels.

Democracy only grows from the ashes of a former totalitarian government.

The United States and India were able to grow, because when England ruled, for all their wrongs, they were not evil, per se.

The only way democracy came to Post World War 2 Japan and Germany, is that the Nazi and Imperial Japan culture laid in ashes.

This whole concept of “tweaking” savages into acting like modern humans, is insane.

We should have laid such destruction upon these fools, that there wouldn’t have been any will. Then over the course of a couple of decades, they could have been brought up to speed, or we simply would have moved on, having proven a point.

It’s time to quit apologizing for accidentally burning a couple of Korans. Let’s pull our troops out of that God forsaken land with a promise that if we ever have to come back instead of matches and gasoline we’ll be using a couple of ICBMs to start that fire. – iceman1960 on February 27, 2012 at 7:49 PM

I think you might be on the right track, but I would limit the use of nukes to tactical nuclear weapons. They need to stop trying to build 30,000lb bunker buster bombs that may or may not work.

The difference is that Romney has not regretted his liberal record in MA. Nor has he changed his view on Romneycare; in fact he stands by it. Also he has not changed his view on the ads (11,000) in one weeks time in FL against Newt that were lies and distortions. Those are just views and policies off the top of my head.

Newt wasn’t Governor nor enacting policy. I have my opinion of Romney and it’s based on his record and his lies during the debates and his nasty performance during his campaign. He just lied during the last debate (again) and was called out on it.

bluefox on February 27, 2012 at 7:44

Congratulations! You made it through a post without mentioning Levin! Maybe you are capable of an original thought.

Did you ever find any evidence of Romney and Paul colluding? Please try not to begin your response with “Mark Levin said…”

If you accept Newt’s sudden one-day epiphany as being legit, do you also accept Romney’s change of views which occurred over year’s time? Or other candidates, for that matter?
whatcat on February 27, 2012 at 7:32 PM

The difference is that Romney has not regretted his liberal record
bluefox on February 27, 2012 at 7:44 PM

We’re talking about flip-flops here. I’m trying to understand why you’d put much stock in an overnight, sudden conversion of a desperate candidate who is less popular than Mussolini.
Actually, if his spin on-a-dime 180 were sincere, that would probably be even more troubling. Being erratic and unstable on a day-by-day basis on major issues isn’t an endearing quality in a politician.

Why do you think only R.Paul and his supporters want our troops home ? You know after 10 years and thousands of lives lost and Billions $ wasted and no end in sight , who with their right mind will not say enough is enough , what is the goal to attain?
But maybe this uprising will bring our leaders to their senses.

You folks wanting to glaze the noble lands of the noble Muslims are getting ernesto all upset. You don’t need to be overt. Be passive. Quarantine them. Repatriate them. Keep them from straying and becoming oppressed and unhappy in the blasphemous West. Set the ummah free to thrive or fail without a penny from the filthy infidels.

BL@KBIRD on February 27, 2012 at 7:17 PM

You are 100% right. If, or should I say when, Muslims are 5% – 10% of the U.S. population we are in deep brown stuff.

If you accept Newt’s sudden one-day epiphany as being legit, do you also accept Romney’s change of views which occurred over year’s time? Or other candidates, for that matter?
whatcat on February 27, 2012 at 7:32 PM

We’re talking about flip-flops here. I’m trying to understand why you’d put much stock in an overnight, sudden conversion of a desperate candidate who is less popular than Mussolini.

Actually, if his spin on-a-dime 180 were sincere, that would probably be even more troubling. Being erratic and unstable on a day-by-day basis on major issues isn’t an endearing quality in a politician.

whatcat on February 27, 2012 at 7:57 PM

You might have a point – if it were an overnight 180 sudden one day epiphany, however, it’s not.

“We need an honest national dialogue and a determination to be candid about our opponents, honest about the problems, and passionately committed to the survival of America as a free country.”

1. Understand our enemies and tell the truth about them. We are engaged in a long war against radical Islamism, a belief system adhered to by a small minority of Muslims but nonetheless a powerful and organized ideology within Islamic thought that is totally incompatible with the modern world.

2. Think big. America currently lacks a unified grand strategy for defeating radical Islamism. The result is that we currently view Iraq, Afghanistan, and the many other danger spots of the globe as if they are isolated, independent situations. Only a grand strategy for marginalizing, isolating, and defeating radical Islamists across the world will lead to victory.

3. Know our values. America’s foreign policy must begin by understanding who we are as a country. We are, as Ronald Reagan said, the world’s “abiding alternative to tyranny.” Therefore, America’s foreign policy must be to ensure our own survival and protect those who share our values.

4. Military force must be used judiciously and with clear, obtainable objectives understood by Congress.

And then there’s this, from 3 days ago.

“There seems to be nothing that radical Islamists can do to get Barack Obama’s attention in a negative way and he is consistently apologizing to people who do not deserve the apology of the president of the United States period,” Gingrich said.

“And, candidly, if Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan, doesn’t feel like apologizing then we should say good bye and good luck, we don’t need to be here risking our lives and wasting our money on somebody who doesn’t care.” Source

You’re either joking here or are seriously delusional. Levin is one of just a few people who really knows and understands the Constitution. Your idiot, racist, Jew hating hero Paul is a fraud, have no idea how anyone with even half a brain can take his lies for anything but what they are: LIES.

riddick on February 27, 2012 at 7:21 PM

I’m not a Paul supporter, but Levin is an illiterate and paranoid blowhard who likes to raise his voice like a maniac.

You might have a point – if it were an overnight 180 sudden one day epiphany, however, it’s not.
Flora Duh on February 27, 2012 at 8:20 PM

Sorry, but that’s just the usual generic political boilerplate you’ll find on any candidate’s site, it doesn’t even mention Afghanistan at all. If you can find any candidate who wants the US military to be injudicious, then you would have a point.

Now, it may seem to you just an incredibly wild coincidence that he suddenly embraced “cut and run” in the last day or so – totally independent of any events of the last few days – but the reality is he is desperate to revive his failed campaign.
He saw what he thought was an opening if he announces a sudden conversion to “cut and run”, so he just attempted to score some quick political points by grabbing on to that brass ring.
But stay tuned for Newt’s next erratic swerve on a major world issue. It’s bizarre, but entertaining to behold.

Yes he is. He is one of the best if not the only Defender of our Liberty.
bluefox on February 27, 2012 at 7:19 PM

are you serious? the loss of liberty started long before obama, and republicans have done their fare share of destorying our country and our liberties. there’s been many people trying to save our liberty,long before rush and mark,and they only beleive in limited and selective liberty.

Mark Levin shares blame in this. He has blood on his hands as he is one of those who has been pushing this Islamic Nation Building with it’s Petraeus winning Islamic Hearts-and-Minds anti-American stupidity, and all this is the direct result of this. THE DIRECT RESULT! Levin can not logically, nor morally, complain about symptoms from a disease that he promoted.

Paul has been saying this all along, it only merits a listen when Gingrich says it? First it was monetary policy, now it is foreign policy. There really is only one guy in the race that doesn’t change his position on a weekly basis. It is unfortunate that Paul comes off as cuckoo for cocoa puffs, I agree with a lot of his positions. On the upside more voters/donors and more candidates jump on his side of the issues as time goes on.

Russia had its turn. We’ve had ours. Maybe China wants to give it a shot. Or perhaps it’s time to let 7th century aficionados live like 7th century aficionados and stop pretending that there is any other way.

Leave. Take back everything we brought there and turn to rubble what we cannot. Or don’t, they’ll do that in short order anyway. Once we do leave, that’s it. No food. No medicine. No money. We send in nothing thereafter except some friendly reminders from above if they get a little too jihadi on us again.

The war in Afghanistan was over in short order. The baby-sitting mission then took its place. Doomed to fail. This wasn’t Japan/Germany circa 1945, this wasn’t Korea circa 1953. How or why anyone was fooled into thinking otherwise will make for good college courses for years.

I’m keen to see what the Republican numbers look like now after days of killing followed by apologies followed by … more killing. It’s the right that’s been propping up support for the mission, but the thought of O’s “sorry” being met by Afghan officers shooting U.S. troops in the back of their heads while at their desks might be what finally finishes this project off — Allah

Allah, I think you are probably seeing the beginning of the end. I have lost faith in any strategy to use the Afghan armed forces to pacify the country enough to allow us to make a graceful, or even any kind of honorable, exit. I am convinced, with every atrocity committed by Taliban infiltrators into their military, that it is impossible to weed them out, and impossible to adequately combat them.

The bottom line is that the entire Muslim religion is corrupt, and they have had ample opportunity to show they were capable of harnessing their worse elements and using their renewed faith in a just, or even a terrible God, to rejoin the civilized world, and they have failed utterly.

As the results of the last decade have shown, Muslims religious behavior has become further and further dominated by a severe inferiority complex, sexual repression of the worst order, and extreme violence that takes the atrocities committed in the name of their religion to ever more cruel and sadistic heights. Reform will only come from true Defeat of their worst elements from within.

We can only defend ourselves against their most evil adherents until somehow, some way, a majority of Muslims decides to accept sane, enlightened reasoning about their fellow Men. Until that happens, the proper answer is to quarantine their evil as much as possible, and strike back from afar EVERY time they perform some terrorist attack upon us with totally disproportional destruction. Every homicide bombing must be met with destruction of the bombers hometown from afar. Every chemical attack must be met with a nuclear response. Every Muslim country must be treated exactly the same way as each other, until they see what their evil religion has wrought upon themselves.

Since none of this will be considered by any current or reasonably likely future US government, as the current candidates and the likely majority of members of society currently feel is justified, it will only be after some large chemical, biological, or nuclear attack that this response will be considered, and this policy will be implemented. Until then, we will suffer greater and greater atrocities at the hands of so called “peaceful Muslims”. Certainly Barack Obama won’t have the will to defend America even after a nuclear attack from Iranian, Hezbollah, or Al Qaeda terrorists. And I don’t think the Republican candidates (except maybe Newt) would follow this plan either.

In any event, it is time to stop throwing good American lives after bad Afghan blood. Withdraw as quickly as possible, in the middle of the night if possible, and carpet bomb the hostile areas after leaving as a reminder that we haven’t begun to get angry…..

Any future attacks from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, etc….. should be met with massive conventional bombing retaliation, or nuclear attack. Buy our oil from Canada, and drill all over the US and continental shelf and in ANWR, and let Saudi Arabia and the Arab lands sell to those who can buy their oil by drilling horizontally for miles to reach the oil bearing strata now covered by radioactive glass.

The plan has the advantage of eliminating any retaliatory will of Muslim countries for the forseeable future, and cheapens the price of our own ability to survive. Any soul searching about killing millions of Muslims to achieve this must be weighed against the millions of Westerners who will certainly die over the next 40 yrs from Muslim conquest which will make World War II look like a Sunday school picnic….. The Russian front was child’s play compared to what they have planned for the West and for Israel.

I don’t care what you think of the lack of Human Kindness in this plan. I seem to be all out of sympathy for the Religion of Perpetual Outrage. There is a point at which rabid dogs can only be put down. We may not be there yet, but we are no more than one step away…..

I was on board with getting out of that POS country a couple years ago. Our brave troops think it’s a waste of time,money and most of all, their friends are getting injured and killed. I feel for the kids I see on M. Yons site but we can’t save the world. I would be out by EOY if it was up to me.

Excellent commentary. But you should have told them to go p*ss up a rope like you once told someone here some 4 years ago who had the same basic philosophy towards this ‘Islamic Nation Building” that you now have.

The number of our troops’ deaths and their severe casualties in Afghanistan escalated from the time Obama becamse CinC in contrast to the numbers during the Bush presidency, but you would never know those statistics because of the complicit media.

Putting a stop to the hotbeds of jihadist training camps and terrorism tactics, whether by Pakistani-motivated Taliban or other terror groups, was the original motivation for entering Afghanistan. Playing footsie with the Taliban, thinking that we could negotiate with them (the Obama strategy) and imposing sure-to-lose Rules of Engagement set this adventure on a collision course of failure. Allowing Karzai to play his duplicitous games hasn’t helped at all.

Let’s call it a day in Afghanistan. Obama never intended to secure any type of victory. Maybe the Chinese will have better luck if they release the Mongolian hordes.

I’m fine with getting the troops out soon. … as long as we salt the poppy fields before we leave. Not necessarily averse to using gamma-ray salting if it is more efficient and effective.

If they are upset over the burning of some paper even after being freed from the yoke of the Taliban, they aren’t worth it. Help the Christians and any other faiths besides the islamists who want to leave before the Taliban and persecution come back, then shake the dust from our feet and leave them for the final judgment.